Anthony McDowell, 50, was shot in the chest around 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 outside his home in the 24000 block of Southeast Oak Street.

That evening, according to his family, McDowell had been distraught. When he was shot, he was standing in a gravel lane between his yard and the driveway. He was holding a rifle over his head with both hands, according to the family.

McDowell was a military veteran known as “Sarge” to his friends. He operated a non-profit that served the needs of returning veterans. He was buried last week at Willamette National Cemetery.

McDowell's wife, Teresa and his sister-in-law, Tina McDowell, said after the shooting that the officers had not given him enough time to follow their commands after they told him to drop the rifle.

Teresa McDowell also said that she did not tell the dispatcher that her husband was suicidal. But in a transcript of her 9-1-1 call, she clearly indicated that she was afraid he was going to kill himself.

“He says if he can't find (his keys) he's gonna do it in the front yard,” Teresa McDowell said.